Presently existing electrical transformers are very common and vital components providing converted power to a myriad of electrical devices.
There are occassions when the act of plugging the electrical transformer or power supply into a wall receptacle or extension cord is made more difficult because of darkness or obstructed light.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,533 (2001) to Major discloses a flashlight plug which is an illuminated male electrical plug and cord. It is designed to illuminate an electrical outlet while a user is in the process of attaching the plug to the receptacle. Drawbacks to this device include: disclosed in the form of a plug/cord, it cannot be used on existing devices without replacing the original electrical cord. Considering the vast difference of electrical cord designs, including mounting, strain relief, amperage ratings, and differences of electrical attachment found on electrical appliance power cords, providing this plug/cord with a safe and suitable universal design could become a very daunting and expensive proposal. Incorrect installation of the flashlight plug may cause potential for electrical shock and damage to the appliance. If not provided by the manufacturer as original equipment, to mount this plug/cord on an existing appliance may void a warranty (for equipment with warranty). Even if this plug were designed to replace the plug component of an existing power cord (cutting off the plug and attaching the Flashlight plug to the end of the power cable), the same hazards and shortcomings as mentioned above may still apply. For devices using a electrical transformer, this plug/cord, or plug only, is of no practical use. While this plug may be a useful device for a manufacturer to install as original equipment on electrical appliances, it has very limited use as a replacement cord or plug on the vast majority of existing appliances. Additionally, once the Flashlight Plug is installed onto a device, it becomes a semi-permanent component of that device and cannot easily be unattached for use on other electrical devices.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/800,304 (Allowed 2006) to Stoddard discloses an “Illuminated Electrical Plug Adapter” which is designed to function as an illuminated electrical adapter between a factory installed electrical plug and an electrical receptacle. While this is a very useful concept, it too has a drawback in that it adds an amount of cumbersome weight and bulk to any transformer unit it is attached to. Many electrical transformers are used in travel for cell phones, computers, Ipods and the like and most commonly, compact, lightweight, space efficient device accessories are preferred.
It becomes apparent that an illuminated electrical transformer for receptacle illumination can be useful and provide substantial improvement over what is available today. No illuminated transformer units for receptacle illumination could be found in the prior art.